Heavy Metal

Another day, and half the week is gone again, and we're still on with the balcony work.

Fog welling up out of the valley

Bekir welds the second column in place

The view from the balcony

Sally up a ladder getting string

Bekir measuring before cutting

The welding machine has overheated

The day dawned cold, actually cold, which is unheard of in June over here. Fog in the valley and a chill breeze. The men were quite late again and soon I'll probably need to have a word as they are getting later and later and losing more of the morning every day which isn't helping as with me not earning we can't afford to waste money. Anyway, they got stuck in when they did arrive, welding the columns in place underneath the first return beam and then getting started on the second. It was around then that the welder that they were using overheated and had a big problem - Bekir is sure he can fix it but this meant Halil and Sally dashing back to their village to get Sally's welder which was more time out of the day. Not ideal.

This is the on switch

Safety first, always

So Blogger's link to YouTube has broken so here is a link to the video anyway: https://youtu.be/9AWQoODumbE

The beams and columns in place

More steel is lifted onto the balcony

Bekir welding the short upright

When they got back I recognised this machine as the one that was used many years back now to repair the gate, powered by a metal coat hanger thrown over the power lines. It is scary, with a bent piece or wire acting as a switch by being stuck in across the fuse gap. It works, however, and allowed the men to get back to it. I filmed as they lifted the second to last long beam into place and slotted it in and then they cut and lifted the next two columns to support it. Once these were in place they fitted the two long cross beams between the return beams and then finally they cut and started to fit the small columns in the centre of these long beams that will support the ridgepole. I missed a lot of this as I was having an interview for a job (fingers firmly crossed).

Halil sanding down the wall

Sally doing the next layer of plaster

Drilling holes for the supports

In place, just needs some legs now

The main frame is nearly complete

After their afternoon coffee it was raining really heavily so they came inside to do a few inside jobs. Of course not long after the rain stopped but I wasn't unhappy as the two jobs to do was first to finish the plastering in the guest room, which we need done before we can tidy and move some stuff back in from the corridor, and the new bench in the tool room for my air brush. Halil first of all sanded down the first plaster layer then, while Sally did another layer of plaster, he went to help Bekir with the bench. Tomorrow there will  need to be a little metal work done to put a couple of legs on and my bench will be ready for me to start learning to airbrush. I'm very excited.

So there you are; another day done. Here's to tomorrow and not-late-men and lots of progress again.